...born with the gift of laughter and a sense that the world was mad

Beware the insidious swoon: Phyllis Chessler has some thoughts on the rapture of Denver:

…What frightened me about the evening [when “The One” gave his acceptance speech] was this: Each of the average American citizens who spoke, including two former Republicans who are now voting for Obama, had clearly been rehearsed in the Saul Alinsky-style of Method Acting. They spoke as if they were at a left political rally on a soapbox or in the street, gesturing largely, speaking loudly, grandstanding, repeating slogans and gestures over and over again. “Yes we Can.” None spoke “naturally,” or from the heart.

This canned performance coupled with one other reported fact troubled me. Several newscasters said that people openly wept when Obama began to speak. And kept on weeping. I myself saw some weeping faces: Young girls, older African-American men, middle aged white women, the Hollywood celebrities. Even Oprah was quoted as saying that “Nothing compares” (to this evening). The tears, plus the largeness of the choreographed event (85,000 people were in Invesco Field) brought to mind other large political rallies where leaders have held their people spellbound, often for hours.

No, I am not going to compare Obama to Hitler, Castro or Khomeini; that would simply not be true or fair. And yet, these are very dangerous times. People need to keep their heads about them, not lose them in a swoon. A Cult of Personality will not save America…

Of course it won’t, but the swoon is like a drug that causes feelings of elation and euphoria, and for plenty of people looking for a quick “fix” (in both senses of the word), it’s awfully hard to resist:

Posted by: scaramouche at 10:48 | link | comments (1)

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